Chapter 7
The return to the Ashcroft estate felt entirely different than the departure. The mansion was no longer a place of suffocating servitude for Audra; it had transformed into a fortress preparing for a siege. The moment they stepped through the heavy front doors, the atmosphere was electric with tension. Dozens of heavily armed men patrolled the corridors, their eyes sharp and movements calculated.
Marcus approached them immediately in the grand foyer, his face grim.
"Is the guest wing secured?" Gideon asked, shrugging off his suit jacket and handing it to a passing guard.
"Yes, Boss. The master guest suite has been prepped," Marcus reported, glancing respectfully at Audra. "But we have a massive problem. Victor Blackwell called three times while you were gone. He knows his daughter is in the holding cells. He is demanding her immediate release, or he marches on the estate by dawn."
"Does Victor believe he is in a position to make demands?" Gideon asked quietly, rolling up the sleeves of his crisp white shirt, revealing more of the intricate tattoos on his forearms.
"He has the numbers, Gideon," Marcus warned, his voice low. "If the Blackwells hit us, it's going to be a bloodbath. Half the commission is allied with him."
Gideon didn't flinch. He turned his attention to Audra, who was standing frozen near the ornate marble staircase, still wearing her black maid dress. She looked incredibly fragile amidst the heavily armed mafia soldiers.
"Will you follow Marcus to your new rooms, Audra?" Gideon asked gently.
"My new rooms?" Audra repeated, her brows drawing together. "But my things are in the basement quarters."
"Did you think I would ever allow you to sleep in a servant's bed again?" Gideon asked. He looked at Marcus. "Will you have her belongings moved to the master suite immediately, and ensure two men are stationed outside her door?"
"On it, Boss," Marcus nodded.
"Mr. Ashcroft, please," Audra stepped forward, her voice desperate. "You are going to war because of me. You should just give Serena back to them. I have Mason now. I don't need revenge."
"Do you believe this is about revenge, Audra, or is it about respect?" Gideon inquired, his observant eyes locking onto hers. "Do you think a man can rule an empire if he allows his people to be abused and his money to be stolen by the woman sharing his table?"
"But they will kill you," Audra whispered, the fear for him evident in her delicate features.
"Have many men tried and failed to do exactly that?" Gideon asked, a dark, terrifying calm settling over his angular face.
He didn't wait for her to answer. He turned and walked down the long corridor leading toward the holding cells in the east wing. Audra watched him go, his powerful shoulders carrying the weight of a coming war.
"Come on, Mrs. Graves," Marcus said softly, gesturing toward the stairs. "Let's get you somewhere safe. The boss has a long night ahead of him."
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Deep in the east wing, Gideon keyed open the heavy steel door to the holding cell. Serena sat on a cot, her sculpted satin gown ruined, mascara streaking her face. She looked up, her eyes wide with terror as Gideon stepped into the room.
"Are you ready to speak with your father, Serena?" Gideon asked, tossing a mobile phone onto the cot beside her.
